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Ranpo didn’t normally drink. It was practically common knowledge in her friend group that she couldn’t handle her alcohol to save her life.
However, if Poe were to offer an opinion, it was more that her taste in drinks caused how drunk she got... and how awfully hungover she tended to end up. Surely Ranpo knew the sugary sweetness of her cocktails were hiding how strong they were. That the syrups and juices were little more than a mask. And the sugar just made the hangover worse. She’d once insisted Poe try a cotton candy topped bright pink concoction. It had made her want to vomit immediately.
Poe had got her sweet revenge, when she then tried some of her Manhattan and spat it out.
Unluckily for everyone, Ranpo’s oral fixation always led to finishing every drink and having to order another as soon as possible. Luckily, Poe had figured out the trick to avoiding that, and carried an entire pocket’s worth of sweets when they went out together. Though, admittedly, that was rare. Maybe she should tell one of her girlfriend’s friends to just fill up a candy jar.
At the very least, everyone knew that Ranpo was a good drunk. She was louder, much more cocky, and unbearably fond of provoking people in whatever way was most effective. But she was also incredibly funny and affectionate. And within minutes of arriving home, she would fall into a deep slumber that Poe truly envied.
A sharp contrast to herself, really. It took on average 2.8 drinks - Ranpo had been observing - to get her tipsy, and 6.4 for her to pick a fight. Maybe it was just the anxiety of being around so many people, or the constant stream of lights and sounds, but something about going out and drinking just made her irritable. Though, this would be less of an issue if she had adequate discipline, but alas, she always was one to lose her control around alcohol. This had been an issue since she was drinking underage at boarding school parties, and remained the same 10 years later.
The solution was simple, her love had insisted soon after they met; ‘just have exactly 3 drinks and then I’ll stop you drinking any more.’
This, as it soon turned out, was not simple at all. They had gone to the local bar around their first anniversary as an opportunity to properly meet all of Ranpo’s friend group. When Poe had been awkwardly standing at the bar to get water, following Yosano’s advice, there had been a particularly interesting, expensive, bottle on the shelf. And her girlfriend was beyond distracted, engaged in a lively chat with a strange girl wrapped in bandages. Needless to say, 2 had turned to 4, then to 6, all much too quickly.
She had very little memory of anything after that, but the bruises on her arm and the pounding of her head the next day told enough of a story.
So, in fear of further embarrassing herself in front of her newfound friends (the first she’d made since moving to Japan) Poe had avoided going out with them at night altogether. Better to avoid the mere possibility of making a fool of herself entirely. Occasionally, her girlfriend would find out about a new ridiculous sweet drink and decide they would go together to try it, and actually follow up on her promise to ensure Poe remained peaceful. It was always a nice date, just the two of them. But she also knew Ranpo often joined her friends for after work drinks (not that it was ‘after work’ for her, just the others), separate from their shared time. Her current theory for her love’s continued appearances at those was simply that Kunikida was willing to pay for at least half of her drinks, and it was enjoyable for her to infuriate the kind woman.
That was why it remained a mystery to her that Ranpo had insisted she accompany her to a bar with all of her friends on a Friday night. She dreaded the thought initially, anxiety filling her at the mere idea of it. But one adorable smile and she was willing to ignore it for long enough to make it there. Albeit... much too early.
The outside area, only a few wooden tables covered in dirty ashtrays, was completely empty. Was it a mistake to come so early? It was 5:30, a perfectly reasonable time to arrive. But there was nobody around? Not a single soul. Somehow, it reminded her of a novel she’d started working on a few months ago, that had been quickly abandoned for fear of the setting being sub-par.
“Are you sure we were supposed to arrive at this time?” She ran a hand down her dress, trying desperately to smooth it.
“Oops! We might be early.” Ranpo fiddled with her phone, humming quietly. “Oh.” She whipped it around to show the taller woman.
Kunikida (12:14p.m): We’ll be arriving at 6.
Well. That would explain it. If even Kunikida wasn’t here, they were stupidly, ridiculously early.
“It’s fine, it’s fine! We’ll find a seat, get a drink, and observe the people.” A warm hand wrapped itself around hers. “I bet I’ll get more things right than you.”
Poe nodded, taking a deep breath. Everything really was much simpler with Ranpo. She only wished she had Karl with her. But alas, the bar had a no animal policy and it was always awful trying to explain that her emotional support animal was, in fact, a raccoon. A small part of her brain cursed her very soul for being so weak.
To Poe’s surprise, the inside of the establishment was not a ghost town, with several tables bustling with laughter and warmth. She didn’t recognise anyone, but that was to be expected. She didn’t exactly have many friends in Japan yet. Not entirely due to anxiety, more so that nobody other than Ranpo had been able to pique her interest enough to warrant a second conversation. Maybe she’d work up some courage (and an ounce of humility) and talk to someone new.
The lights were dim and warm, casting a soft glow that reminded Poe of her favourite library. A group of woman were sitting at a crowded table, chatting amongst themselves. Nothing particularly interesting, she assumed. They sat down in the corner by the entrance, Poe taking her girlfriend’s coat (cape, if you asked Ranpo, but really it could not be described as such).
“Oh, see that girl there?” Ranpo pointed at a tall girl stood at the bar. “She’s a waitress, here hoping to forget about a recently ended casual relationship. She’ll leave crying by 7:30.”
“Explain?”
“She’s overdressed, out of place. Drinking recklessly.” She unwrapped a pink lollipop, popping it into her mouth with a dazzling smile. Her eyes sparkled under the amber glow.
“And the rest of your observations?”
“She was seeing Dazai until last week. She ghosted the girl.”
“Right. The brilliant detective strikes again.” Poe couldn’t help but smirk. “Do you want a drink?”
“I’ll go! I know what you’ll order anyway.”
She was up and gone before Poe could point out that she never paid for drinks by choice.
Poe opted to stay in the corner and wait. The atmosphere was peaceful, almost relaxing. It could be a good setting for a novella. A busy party at a luxury bar - it would have to be much more luxurious than this one - and... a poisoning. She dug through the bag on her arm, desperately trying to find her notebook before the buds of an idea could wilt. There was 15 minutes before anyone else was due to arrive, and Ranpo looked to have gotten distracted from ordering by the appearance of a short, grey-haired girl holding a beer. Atsushi. She was laughing awkwardly, eyes occasionally shifting over to look at the door. Obviously waiting for someone. The question, naturally, was who.
Not wanting to waste a second, she shifted her attention back to her notebook, scrawling furiously.
“Yahoo! I’m back.” Three drinks hit the table with a heavy-handed thud, almost knocking the book to the ground. “I got you a Godfather.”
“Thank you. So... you got two?”
“Yup! Two for one. Whatcha working on?”
“It’s just a rough idea for a short story...” She waited for Ranpo’s usual excited hum before launching into every detail she had in mind. Basic character outlines, motive, method. Hands fiddling furiously with the pendant around her neck. Her girlfriend nodded along, occasionally stopping to take a sip of her drink, some absurdly pink frozen concoction. “I haven’t got much of it figured out yet, but I’ll work on it tomorrow I think.”
“It sounds great so far, baby! I can’t wait to read it. Don’t tell me who the killer is, I’ll get it in two chapters or less.” She winked. “Oh, look. Kunikida and Dazai are here. 10 minutes late, Dazai will be tipsy.”
As always, she was right. It wasn’t hard to miss the slight sway in the tall girl’s steps, the way she laughed a little harder than usual. Her eyes scanning the bar in subtle sweeping glances. It really wasn’t Poe’s business though, so she opted to avoid mentioning it, instead taking another swig of her drink. They made conversation (well, Poe listened in while trying to flesh out anything she could in the story building in her mind), until Dazai vanished off to smoke and Ranpo realised her glasses were both empty.
“Kunikidaaa. Please get me another strawberry lychee daiquiri. Or three."
“I’ll get you one. Buy your own next.”
“I’ll just convince Yosano to buy me more when she gets here.”
“Ranpo, dear, it’s fine. I’ll buy the next when I’ve finished mine.” Poe sighed, shuffling her notebook back in her bag.
“Okay!”
Awkwardly shuffling through the growing crowd, Poe was grateful for her bangs hiding her face and discouraging people from attempting conversation. She was certain a group of men had been staring at her with every step she took. A few more drinks and she would have given them all a black eye. But without the rage alcohol tended to stir up in her, she just kept her gaze down and refused to acknowledge them.
There was a thick menu sitting on the bar, bound in a classy tweed cover. Enough options to please anyone. Her gaze lingered on each whisky option, a temptation she didn’t want to indulge. The numbers rang in her. 2.8. 6.4. She’d had one, but neat whisky would surely count for more than a little cocktail with too much ice. A different drink, then.
Poe settled on a highball for herself, two more of those fruity sweet ones for Ranpo. Yosano appeared from behind soon after, elegant heels clicking as she tapped a foot impatiently. Atsushi and Tanizaki bickered loudly at the table about some light novel. She noticed as Tanizaki’s hand brushed Atsushi’s, the way she pulled back slightly too fast.
“Don’t drink too much today, yeah? Doctor’s orders.” Yosano smirked. “Also Ranpo’s clearly already tipsy and somebody will have to deal with that.”
“You... make it sound like that happens often.”
Yosano laughed, picking up one of the drinks that had finally appeared in front of them. “Every time. We have a rota of who takes care of her. Dazai suggested adding you to it for tonight.”
“Oh... Yeah um that’s fine.” It made sense, obviously. She was her girlfriend, her partner in (solving) crime.
They walked back to the group together. Yosano was much better at weaving through the horde of people, intimidating enough to get them to move out of their way.
Their table was covered in empty bottles, glasses, and colourful vapes that made Poe feel nauseous to think about. Kunikida stood upon their return, collecting their waste into a neat stack and promising to return immediately.
With more people, Poe let herself retreat into a comforting quiet, mind drifting back to her notebook. It was harder to focus as the conversation bubbled, louder and louder with each remark from Dazai. It was impossible to miss how glazed her eyes were, the occasional hiccup. Drunk. Yosano and Kunikida exchanged glances, a hundred words in a single look. Mostly, if Poe had to guess, some angry remarks and exasperated sighs. Kyouka occasionally offering a short response to something Atsushi said. Tanizaki’s phone buzzing, the young woman immediately checking it each time.
It was interesting. She didn’t spend much time with... well, anyone other than Ranpo, really. Witnessing their dynamics, observing each interaction felt like being part of their group. An hour passed, she didn’t speak a word, just watched. Her drink was empty. Someone had replaced it with a fresh one. A much cheaper spirit, she noticed. Yosano smiled at her warmly. Weaker too, then.
Maybe they considered her part of it already.
Ranpo locked pinkies with her under the table, resting their fingers on Poe’s thigh. Her head leaned to rest on Poe’s shoulder.
“Affectionate, are we?” Dazai giggled mischievously. Kunikida jabbed her in the shoulder and huffed as she slumped over dramatically.
“I love you, y’know?” Ranpo whispered into her ear. Or, well, tried to whisper. It was really much more of a shout. She could feel the blush spreading across her cheeks as the others looked over at them.
“Ranpo, dear, you’re drunk.” Poe, for once, was sober enough to recognise it. This elicited a loud huff and an exaggerated pout.
“Well I’m drunk enough to know I love you! After all, the great detective is always right.” Hiccup. “Especially about this.”
The shorter woman’s hand shifted on Poe’s leg, a finger running softly along her bare skin. If she wasn’t so embarrassed by the laughter around them, it would have been heaven.
“Of course, of course. Should we get you some water?” Understanding the signal (really, thank the heavens for it), Kunikida rose from her seat abruptly, dragging Dazai with her. She looked over at Yosano. “Is she normally this flirty?”
“Because you don’t see her drunk often? Or because you don’t remember it?” Yosano grinned. “Or... because you’re jealous?”
“Don’t tease me. I’m curious.” It was snappier than she had intended. 3 drinks, of course.
“She’s not, usually she’s just more loud and irritating. That’s why this is so funny.”
Atsushi chimed in, finally looking away from whatever conversation she had been having. “It’s probably just because you’re here today. It’s nice to for you to hang out with us.”
“See, Poe. Everyone loves you. I just love you most!” Ranpo was grinning, her hand still on Poe’s thigh. She wondered if she was even aware of the motion.
But, as always, it seemed the great detective was correct. The laughter had decreased, replaced instead with fond awwws and warm smiles. The yellow-tinged lights cast a hazy glow across their faces, but Poe could see the affection brightening their faces.
She was loved.